…Stakeholders call on regional commissions to unlock potentials, coordinate infrastructure
Bimbo Ashiru, Chairman, Odua Investment Company Limited, has advocated better policies, stronger public and private collaboration to drive housing development and make houses available for millions of Nigerians.
This is coming as Nigeria faces a severe housing deficit, which hovers around 20 million driven by rapid population growth, urbanisation and inadequate supply, creating a crisis of both quantity and quality, requiring massive investment and strategies like affordable housing schemes and infrastructure development.
Ashiru, who stated this at Wemabod 2026 Real Estate Outlook with Theme -“Unlocking Land and Infrastructure for Inclusive Housing”, held in Lagos, noted that there is also need to attract more capital to the real estate market, ultimately paving way for homes that Nigerians can afford, access, and sustain.
While saying the sector is a crucial component of the Nigerian economy and has the potential to drive economic growth and job creation, he said, “today, housing sits at the intersection of economy, urbanisation, social equity, and multigenerational wealth. While demand continues to rise, supply remains constrained by land accessibility, infrastructure deficits, public sector inefficiencies, and institutional fragmentation”.
At the event which had Yemi Osinbajo, Professor and former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Keynote Speaker, Ashiru said “these challenges are policy-driven and require solutions coordinated across public and private sector participants. Housing every Nigerian family does not only put a room on all of our heads, it will improve the economy, build capacity and transform society. Let us create a movement that starts the change we all desire and deserve to see.
“Our theme this year is deliberate. Unlocking land speaks to reforming land administration, improving titling systems, reducing transaction inefficiencies, and restoring confidence in land administration process. So, to unlock infrastructure means to build the foundational networks that make housing affordable, accessible and livable. These investments can transform the property market, expanding the economic potential of every naira spent on property development and create positive capital momentum.
“Inclusive housing does not only challenge us to move beyond aspirational rhetoric toward delivery models that work, but improves the capacity to leverage low- and middle-income Nigerians access to housing to improve overall market capacity.”
Saying that the outlook aims to move the conversation beyond rhetoric and identify pathways towards a more vibrant real estate market, he pointed out, that at WEMABOD, “we are acutely aware that the future of real estate in Nigeria will be defined not by isolated projects, but by system thinking; that is, how land, infrastructure, finance, regulation, and governance align to modernise, standardise and expand the real estate market in Africa’s largest country.
Nureni Oladipo Adisa, an engineer and Chairman, Wemabod Limited, in his address, said “we stand at a pivotal moment in our urban narrative. Across our region, we witness a paradox: vibrant economic growth alongside deepening housing inequality; vast urban sprawl straining against inadequate infrastructure; and land, our most fundamental asset, often trapped in frameworks that limit its potential for the broader good.
According to him, today, we assert that sustainable growth is impossible without inclusive housing. And inclusive housing is impossible without strategically unlocking land and purposefully deploying infrastructure. Unlocking Land is about moving beyond fragmented plots to cohesive, well-planned communities. It’s about activating underutilized spaces, streamlining cumbersome processes, and deploying land in a manner that prioritizes affordability, accessibility, and community cohesion.
“Unlocking Infrastructure means recognizing that a home is not an island. It is about synchronizing housing development with transportation, water, energy, and digital networks from the outset. It is about building not just houses, but connected, resilient, and liveable communities. So, Regional Agenda is our crucial lens. Housing markets and urban challenges do not respect municipal boundaries. We must think, plan, and act regionally, fostering collaboration between cities, towns, and states to create a balanced, equitable, and efficient urban ecosystem.
On his part, Bashir Oladunni, Managing Director, Wemabod Limited noted that Nigeria’s housing challenge is not just about supply but about access and affordability saying “we see housing not just as buildings, but as the foundation of productive cities and inclusive economic growth
“At the heart of this challenge are two structural constraints: land and infrastructure. Without accessible, properly titled land, housing remains
expensive. Without enabling infrastructure, roads, rail, power, water, and social services, housing cannot scale, and cities cannot thrive.
“This is where Regional Development Commissions become critically important. These commissions were created to unlock regional potential, coordinate infrastructure, and drive development beyond administrative boundaries. Today, they represent one of Nigeria’s strongest institutional platforms for land aggregation, infrastructure-led growth, and inclusive housing delivery.
“They are uniquely positioned to: Aggregate large land assets across regions, coordinate infrastructure at scale, de-risk greenfield and corridor-based housing developments, Align housing delivery with regional economic priorities. In effect, they provide the missing link between land, infrastructure, and
scale”, he noted.
